Geeky Thanksgiving to you all!

November 29 2017

Wow! I never thought I’d win! It's Thanksgiving eve here in Chicago, so here goes. Briefly, I’m a geeky trademark, copyright, and Internet lawyer in Chicago, but I am more than that. I am a husband to 1, a father to 3 boys, a legal blogger, a friend, a relative, a Scoutmaster, and a neighbor.

Like many of you, I struggle with the everydayness – the routine, the commute, and trying to juggle it all. I depend on my GTD system, while I worry I’m not being a good husband or father at the expense of work.

Years ago my wife happened to work with the adult child of a former lawyer boss, and it was a revelation seeing him again through their eyes. He was never home, always working, and that person never forgave him for that. You can’t make up for not being there with gifts. As a result, I always try to keep a good work-life balance, but it is hard. When I moved from a small firm to a larger firm it was a struggle to maintain the balance, but I hope I have.

My favorite SF book is Dune, by Frank Herbert. I love how Paul transforms into more than what anyone else tried to make him into. The movie and miniseries adaptations haven’t totally done it justice, it’s a book that rewards re-reading. My favorite fantasy series would have to be Lord of the Rings, with Harry Potter a close second these days. I also have to give a shout out to Douglas Adams – I wish he hadn’t had an existence malfunction. 42!

I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who since Tom Baker, and really love how every new Doctor brings something new to the role and series. In my HS yearbook, I was “most likely to become the next Doctor Who.” I’m looking forward to the new Doctor – go Jodie!

My wife is an angel, she puts up with me and all my geeky lawyer quirks.

My oldest son needs to get working on his Eagle project, but we are very proud of him. He balances a lot between robotics, scouts, and school, plus work on the side.

My middle son is autistic with anxiety issues, so those of you out there with those issues or have family with those issues I hear you and understand you. We are very proud of him.

My youngest son got me playing Pokemon Go, and now I play more than he does. Currently Level 38, Mystic. These days it’s hard to find him without his nose in a book – a good problem to have, IMHO.

It’s amazing how many adults I come across playing Pokemon Go – the social aspect of the current raid system has been good for that, meeting lots of people in the area I wouldn’t ordinarily have met.

I am transplanted from the Madison, WI area, so go Badgers! I used to play trumpet in the UW Band many years ago. I wish my Packers were doing better this year, but we can’t have it all. On, Wisconsin!

If anyone wants to learn more about trademark, copyright, or internet law you can google me at cyberlawcentral. Interesting note – is that use of “google” genericide, or an instruction to use a particular search engine? You decide!

To all of you out there, keep on keeping on. Read. Listen to some good jazz. Be thankful.